


running into the sun (but i'm running behind)

by Quilly



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Road Trips, just boys bonding over unspoken trauma, quilly takes a lot of liberties with the TAZ setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-04 08:36:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12165327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quilly/pseuds/Quilly
Summary: When the bubble cannon breaks while the boys are away, a road trip is clearly the best way to pass the time until it gets fixed.Magnus loves his friends. Taako doesn't understand affection. Merle shares some of his truth.





	running into the sun (but i'm running behind)

**Author's Note:**

> A request that got way, way out of hand. In the end, kinda lost the thread of the "road trip" but I like where it went anyway. Takes place between Crystal Kingdom and 11th Hour.

“I’m sorry, boys,” the voice of the Director intoned through Magnus’ Stone of Farspeech, slightly fuzzy with distance-related static. “Avi estimates that the bubble cannon will be repaired and back in working order in a week or so, but unfortunately, that leaves us with no recourse for how to get you three home.”

“It’s cool,” Magnus said, “we can walk.”

“What?” Merle protested, and Taako’s speechless glare of outrage was almost audible.

“Magnus, it’s several days from the Glass Caverns to the Bureau’s current location,” the Director replied. “In that time, we could have the cannon operational again. I’d really rather you three find an inn nearby—”

“Inn schminn, we’ve got good legs,” Magnus said, cutting her off. “It’ll give us something to do, and besides, in case the cannon takes longer, Taako can just levitate us up to the moonbase, no problem.”

“Levitate doesn’t work like that, dingus,” Taako snapped.

“Think of it like a fantasy road trip,” Magnus smiled, setting his free hand on his hip. “It can’t be that hard to rent a wagon, if we need to.”

“We’re in frontier territory, do you really think they’ve got a spare wagon?” Merle asked dryly. “According to my map, the nearest town with a good inn is Glamor Springs, it’s only a half hour away.”

“Let’s not,” Taako said immediately. “Listen, I’m not one for putting in the effort normally, obviously, but when you put it like that, Magnus, a road trip does sound fun.”

Over the Stone, the Director sighed. “Keep me updated with whichever you choose,” she instructs them. “I have other matters that need attending to, but promise me you’ll be safe, and smart with your gold.”

“Of course, of course,” Merle laughed heartily, fooling no one.

“You’ve spent all yours already, haven’t you?” Magnus asked.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Maggie, what would I have spent it on?”

“Booze,” Taako said.

“Seeds,” Magnus added.

“Fantasy snuggies,” the Director chimed in. Merle glared at the Stone. “I’ll reimburse you when you get back. I have to go.”

“Bye, Madam Director!” Magnus said cheerfully, and the Stone went dim. He pocketed it. “Okay, boys, let me see that map, there’s got to be a biggish town nearby.”

“I just told you, there’s Glamor Springs,” Merle grumbled as Magnus plucked the map from his hands. Taako’s face paled.

“How about that one,” Taako said, pointing at random.

“That’s a forest, Taako,” Magnus said. “Glamor Springs does seem like the closest one—”

“No,” Taako said, too quickly and forcefully. Magnus and Merle looked at him, concerned. Taako swallowed visibly. “Just sounds pretty crummy, you know? Not when there’s…um…that one, right there.”

“Lickskillet,” Magnus read.

“Yeah, Lickskillet,” Taako said. “Just the name sounds delicious. I’m a fan already.”

“It’s four hours by foot,” Magnus pointed out.

“What, now you’re worried about foot distance?” Taako sniffed. “This was your idea, kemosabe, I’m just throwing out suggestions here.”

“Glamor Springs is half an hour,” Merle repeated. “Half an hour. Only half of one hour. As opposed to the four you want to trek for Slobberpan or whatever you said.”

“I don’t want to go to Glamor Springs,” Taako said, and his voice definitely cracked as it pitched upwards. He clenched his teeth like he’d very much love to recall the words, but they were out there now. Merle and Magnus shared a look, and Taako growled, turning on his heel and stalking away.

“Where’re you going?” Magnus called.

“Lickskillet,” Taako shouted over his shoulder. “You sentient farts can go to Glamor Springs if you want. Taako’s good out here.”

In a few deft strides Magnus caught up, and several much less deft strides later so did Merle. “Look, buddy, if you don’t wanna go to Glamor Springs that bad, we don’t have to,” Merle said soothingly. “But if you’re going towards Lickskillet, it’s the wrong direction.”

Taako stopped suddenly, his hands trembling into fists at his sides. Magnus and Merle looked at each other again, quickly this time, and Magnus reached out to touch his shoulder. Taako flinched at the contact, hissing, and Magnus put his hands up and backed up a couple steps.

“Lickskillet sounds awesome,” Magnus said. “Map says it’s this way.” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. Taako scowled at him, and Magnus grinned. “Bet we can make it three hours if we use Garyl.”

“We’re not stacking three deep on Garyl, and he only lasts an hour anyway,” Taako snorted, turning around and going in the direction Magnus pointed out like Taako himself had intended all along to go that way. “Papa didn’t wear the big heels for this godforsaken mission, so I’m fine.”

“Road trip,” Merle mused as all three of them set off towards Lickskillet. “Yeehaw.”

“If you so much as think about humming anything by Kenny Chesney, I’m burning a spell slot on you, old man.”

-

In the last stretch of the walk to Lickskillet, Taako did in fact summon Garyl to carry him, so their entrance into the small town was a bit more of a production than Magnus, at least, was bargaining for. Out in the scrubby wastelands and patchy forests on the edge of Faerün, grinding out a living was hard and the populations minimal, often less racially diverse. Lickskillet seemed to be populated almost entirely by halflings, so two tall folks, one on a magical binicorn, and a slightly taller bearded fellow caused a bit of a stir. Taako, against expectation, released Garyl almost as soon as he realized he was attracting attention, pulling the brim of his wizard’s hat low.

“What’re you doing, there, pardner?” Merle guffawed.

“We don’t know this town, or anybody here,” Taako said. “I’m just being cautious.”

“There’s a spot,” Magnus pointed, and just down the main thoroughfare was a squat, greasy little establishment optimistically named The Crystal Dish. The door was half Taako and Magnus’ size, so Merle went inside to ask about a room for the night. While they waited, Magnus smiled at curious passers-by and Taako fidgeted, pulling his hat lower and lower until it almost covered his entire face.

“Taako, buddy, relax,” Magnus said eventually. “Nobody here’s gonna try and kill us. Probably. There wasn’t even a relic at the Glass Caverns for us to get stuck with.”

“Shut up,” Taako said, uncharacteristically curt. Magnus rolled his eyes and went back to graciously fording the attention from the locals. After a few minutes Merle exited, beaming.

“There’s an outbuilding with room enough for abnormally giant people,” Merle said cheerfully, “and the innkeeper very kindly pointed me towards a general store with rations and possibly a broken wagon we can use.”

“Terrific,” Taako said. “Where’s the rooms?”

“Room,” Merle corrected. “Just behind the inn. If you’re going in, catch.” He tossed a key at Taako, who caught it and immediately started walking towards the back side of the inn.

“Aren’t you coming shopping with us?” Magnus asked, and Taako didn’t reply as he sped around the corner of the inn. Merle shrugged.

“Whatever crawled up his butt and died, it’s his problem,” Merle said. “Let’s go see about that wagon.”

The general store was managed by a halfling man with an impressive waxed moustache (so maybe some dwarf blood in him, Merle whispered) and a striped shirt under suspenders, and he was kind enough as Merle and Magnus, with brief consultations of the map, picked up enough rations to last three days.

“I heard tell there was a wagon around here you’re interested in getting rid of,” Merle said as the halfling counted out the gold Magnus, hunched so his head didn’t hit the ceiling, gave him.

“It’s half-rotted, but it’s doing me no favors, so if you want to take it off my hands, I’m amenable,” the halfling said, handing back a handful of silver. “Your change, good sir. The wagon’s out back.  Have a nice day!”

Magnus sighed with relief as they exited the store, stretching his neck. “This town is gonna kill my back.”

“I think it’s charming,” Merle said. “Now let’s see the—oh.”

The wagon, aside from being a half-rotted wooden box sitting on rusted-out wheels, was halfling-sized, and Magnus sighed again, this time in consternation. “Well, so much for that.”

“I can make it work,” Merle protested, digging out and hefting the Adamant Spanner. “This thing still has some juice in it.”

“I don’t think it’s gonna be able to regrow the wood, Merle,” Magnus replied, “and it’s too small for anybody but you.”

“So we cheat,” Merle said, and Magnus frowned. “I’ll do what I can to make it look pretty, and Taako casts Enlarge or whatever that spell is he’s got.”

“Then how’re we gonna pull it?” Magnus asked.

“We’ll see about somebody selling an old horse or something,” Merle said, but he was only half-paying attention; the rest of him was focused on tracing the grain of the wagon with his wooden arm and mumbling to himself. After a moment, he stood back, shouted something in Dwarvish that sounded vaguely like either a spell or a prayer to Pan, it was hard to tell which, and smacked the wagon with the Spanner. For a moment, nothing happened, and Merle swore loudly and kicked it.

Then, in a gust of a warm breeze that definitely had a Pannish giggle—Magnus liked to think he knew kinda what Merle’s god sounded like, having witnessed a direct communication back in Lucas’ lab—the wagon magically transformed from a broken bit of rural scenery into a freshly-grown mode of transportation, life infusing the dead wood as it structured itself back together, the planks twining together in a way Merle gave an appreciative whistle at (Magnus swallowed back his bile). In a matter of seconds, the wagon was repaired, possibly better than it was in the first place, the rim around the wheels sturdy iron again and the wood, as Magnus tested with his own carpenter’s hands, solidly put together.

“I didn’t think Pan or the Spanner could do that,” Magnus said.

“Well, what can I say, the guy loves me,” Merle grinned. “Let’s get this back to the inn, yeah?”

“Sure,” Magnus said, and with some direction from Merle in the front, pushed the wagon out into the street and back towards their accommodations. It felt like pushing a child’s wagon, really, but hopefully Taako would help out with the size issue.

The single-story outbuilding was about half as tall as the two-story inn, with a small hitching post beside it that Magnus set the wagon down by. Merle flung the door open and loudly announced to Taako their return as he did, and Magnus was just barely too late to hear Taako’s acerbic reply as he followed Merle and shut the door.

“Got a wagon,” Magnus said. “So that’s one part of our road trip taken care of.”

“Yeah, yeah, great,” Taako said, stretched out on one of the two beds. “Listen, cha’boy needs his beauty sleep, so I’m gonna take this bed here. You two louts can fight over the other one.”

“We could put the beds together and all sleep on ‘em,” Merle said. “They’re big enough.”

“Oh, no, I’m not entering a three-way cuddle session with you again, not after last time,” Taako cringed.

“I said I was sorry, what do you want?” Merle frowned.

“I would like to stop having nightmares about your old man boner assaulting my middle back.”

“That wasn’t even a full—”

“I’ll take the floor,” Magnus said, and Taako and Merle shut their mouths and shrugged, almost in tandem.

“Your back issues, my man,” Taako mumbled.

“If you’re so worried, then you can scootch over and we’ll share,” Magnus offered, and Taako flopped onto his stomach, closing his eyes.

“Sorry, can’t hear you, sleepy time now.”

“Uh-huh,” Merle grunted. “I’m gonna hit the bar. I’d say you could come with, but since you can’t even get in the door, tough potatoes.”

“That’s not a saying,” Magnus replied.

“What, you can’t just bring us back some drinks?” Taako asked.

“Might be some babes I’d like to chat up in there,” Merle mused, and Taako threw his pillow over his head.

“Please, before I suffocate myself, just leave,” Taako said through the pillow.

“Alright,” Merle shrugged, and winked at Magnus on his way out. “You kids have fun.”

“Sure,” Magnus said, and before Merle closed the door, shouted, “Hey, if you don’t come back, I’m claiming your bed.”

“If I don’t come back, it’s all yours,” Merle winked again, and closed the door as Taako’s pillow slammed into it.

“Randy old man,” Taako muttered.

“Gross,” Magnus nodded. In the ensuing silence Magnus settled himself on Merle’s bed anyway, taking the map with him and looking it over carefully. Best-case scenario, they’d make it to Hogsbottom by the time Avi fixed the cannon; worst-case scenario, they’d get stuck in the wilderness somewhere for a few days and eat each other before Avi finished fixing it. They were quiet for almost an hour, soft twilight settling in the room, and then Merle came back, a bottle in each hand and one more held in his mouth.

“Cheers,” he said, or at least, that’s what it sounded like, as he tossed one bottle to Taako and the other to Magnus. He took the bottle out of his mouth and grinned. “The party’s better in here, anyway.”

“Nobody would take you,” Taako said flatly, and Merle shrugged.

“Maybe I didn’t try,” he said. “Anyway, grabbed some whiskey. Seems like all they make around here.”

Magnus sniffed his bottle and winced. “That’s some strong stuff, Merle.”

Taako, already down half a bottle, shrugged. “I’ve had stronger.”

Magnus glared at him, then at Merle, and then took a sip that burned all the way down.

-

“I’ve got an ex-wife,” Merle said abruptly.

“Called it,” Taako said, holding up his hand for a high-five. Magnus went for it and slapped his wrist instead, then due to the angle they were all laying at on the floor, accidentally hit Taako in the face as his hand dropped. Taako licked Magnus’ hand before he could move it and Magnus whined, rubbing his hand against the floor in an attempt to clean it.

“Well, I do,” Merle said, and put his bottle up to his mouth before remembering for the third time it was empty. “Ex-wife. Former Mrs. Highchurch. Harpy on my back.”

“Merle, come on,” Magnus slurred.

“No, I mean it,” Merle said, too loud. “Wives. Pain in the…ha, pain in the _grass_ , get it?” He laughed at his own terrible joke.

“Merle, shut up,” Magnus mumbled.

“Wasn’t even good,” Taako yawned.

“Never get married, boys, it’s just the—just the _worst possible thing_ —”

“Shut up, Merle!” Magnus snapped, much louder than he meant to. The energy in the room went from lazily comfortable to charged in an instant. Magnus sat up, the heels of his hands pressed firmly into his eyes, willing himself to both not vomit and not cry. It was silent for a long time.

“I was married,” Magnus said after a while, after the silence grated on him for too long and the unasked questions got too loud. “I was…I was married.”

“Woah,” Taako mumbled.

“Huh,” Merle grunted. “What happened?”

“She died,” Magnus said bluntly, and stood up. Or, at least, he tried to. He made it to his knees, at least, before he keeled over again. This was fine. Facedown on hardwood was just peachy.

“Sorry,” Merle said, almost too quietly to be heard.

“Yeah, man, that sucks,” Taako added. “How…I mean, you don’t gotta…you don’t gotta say…”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Magnus mumbled into the floor. He rolled over onto his back, and after a minute, Taako and Merle moved so they were more or less head-to-head-to-head again. “But I loved her. I loved her so much.”

“Sorry,” Merle said again.

“Sorry your wife was a harpy,” Magnus replied, and Merle snorted a laugh. The silence slowly wound back into comfortable, almost dozy.

Then:

“Taako, what’s wrong with Glamor Springs?”

“No,” Taako said. “I’m not…no. If you two chucklebumbles want to overshare, be my guest. Taako’s good out here.”

“Fine,” Merle muttered. Then, “No, I mean, it’s fine. If you don’t wanna. Wanna talk about it with your two best buds. It’s fine.”

Taako snorted so hard he almost choked.

“Not like it matters,” he said after a while. “I don’t feel that bad about it anyway. I mean, I do, like, super bad, but not too bad.”

“What does that even mean?” Magnus asked.

“It means mind your own business, ya harpy,” Taako said, and all three burst into giggles.

“Fine,” Merle repeated, but he sounded much more content this time.

“We’re here if you ever wanna,” Magnus said.

“Yeah,” Taako rolled his eyes. Then, a few minutes later, much more quietly, he sighed. “Yeah. I know.”

-

The next morning brought a wicked hangover, at least two rapid-fire barfs, and very strong coffee from the innkeeper, who made a general comment about the nice weather and trundled on out as Merle and Taako groaned and picked themselves off the floor. Magnus, hunched over the fantasy toilet, hurled one more time and then rinsed his mouth out thoroughly in the sink.

“Coffee, you lightweight,” Merle rumbled as Magnus exited the bathroom.

“I am not a lightweight,” Magnus retorted, taking a sip of the coffee and wincing at the heat. “You two just have stupid long-lived livers.”

“Sure, sure,” Taako croaked. “Are we ditching this popsicle stand today?”

“If we can engorge the wagon and procure a horse,” Merle said.

“Shouldn’t be that difficult,” Taako said.

In short: it was not difficult for Taako to enlarge the wagon. It was difficult to procure a horse when Lickskillet employed almost exclusively tiny ponies.

“Is there an animate object spell or something?” Magnus asked. Merle dug out his Extreme Teen Bible and flipped through it, muttering to himself. Taako grinned.

“Put the book away, Merle, Taako’s got this,” he said, and paused. “Again.”

“Hey, I fixed the wagon,” Merle complained.

“Yeah, yeah, and it’s awesome,” Taako said, cracking his fingers. “Watch me go to work and blow you out of the water.”

“Did you just say you’d blow me?” Merle asked, and laughed as Taako flipped him off.

They entered Lickskillet in style; they left in borderline elegance, Taako waving like a prince at the gobsmacked halflings they passed and Merle grumbling in the back of the self-propelling wagon. Magnus, lounging in the middle, waved at the halflings as they exited the city limits.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Magnus said, and Taako shushed him.

“This spell is only supposed to last for a minute in a combat situation, my dude,” he said. “I’ve gotta concentrate.”

“Killian had a thingy that animated stuff for way longer than a minute,” Magnus pointed out.

“I know,” Taako replied. “I’m magicking the _truck_ out of this thing.”

“It’s a wagon,” Merle deadpanned.

“Shut up, I’m doing my best up here.”

When they stopped to eat a few hours later, Taako looked drained but not quite exhausted as he rolled the wagon to a stop in front of the roadside diner.

“How long can you keep this up?” Magnus asked as they climbed out of the wagon.

“Oh, for a while, Mango, a while,” Taako said. “But first: eats. Then maybe naps for a bit. You’re a big strong guy, you can pull it for a bit while I grab some shut-eye.”

“I got Mathias the Living Grimoire at the Fantasy Costco last time we were there,” Merle said as they entered the diner. “That could come in handy.”

“Sure, sure,” Taako said as they squeezed into a booth. The diner was homey and diner-y, empty except for a man at the bar eating a sandwich, a cook in the back frying something, and a waitress wiping down tables. She bustled up to their table as soon as they were seated, sugary smile plastered on her face.

“What can I get y’all today?”

“You know, darling, I’m dying for some water,” Taako said sweetly. “Also a stack of pancakes the size of my friend’s biceps, four fried eggs, and just keep the bacon coming.”

“I’m sorry, hun, we stop breakfast service at ten,” the waitress said, and Taako’s expression darkened as his cheeks puffed under the weight of things he was no doubt about to spit at the waitress and get them all thrown out. Magnus clapped his hand over Taako’s mouth and grinned at the waitress.

“We’ll take three waters and if you’ll give us a second, we’ll have our orders ready to go for you,” he said, and the waitress jotted something down on her pad and walked off to get their water.

“I wanted Cheerwine,” Merle said. “Or Fantasy Diet Coke.”

“Then tell her when she gets back,” Magnus replied, then yelped as Taako licked his palm. “That’s twice in two days, man, gross!”

“Stop putting your hands near my mouth,” Taako sniffed, and peered down at the menu, glued down to the table. “Who stops serving pancakes at ten a.m.?”

The man sitting at the bar glanced over his shoulder at them, and did a double-take. He stared long enough that Magnus noticed, and when he followed the man’s gaze, he saw Taako’s shoulders were starting to bunch up around his ears, tension radiating off of him even as he continued bantering with Merle. Magnus frowned. The waitress returned with three glasses of water, took their food orders, and bustled off to give the order to the cook. The man at the bar was shooting looks over his shoulder once every few minutes now, and Magnus’ hand tightened around his rapier as the man finally stood up and walked towards the table.

“’scuse me,” the man, a towering half-orc, drawled, “but you ain’t Taako from TV, are you?”

“Who’s asking?” Taako said, at the same time Merle said, “Yup, sure is.” Magnus kicked Merle’s knee hard under the table, and Merle swore.

“I figured it was you,” the man said. “I done seen a show you did.”

“Did you, now,” Taako said, making a strained attempt at his usual glamorous smile. “Which show?”

“Heck, been so long,” the man said, “but I think it was…some town ‘round about here. Started with a G. Had something to do with water…”

“Well, I’m sure it was a good show,” Taako said, his voice climbing in pitch. “Thanks for stopping by, see you later, I don’t do autographs or pictures these days, so—”

“Glamor Springs, that was it,” the man said, and faster than Merle or Magnus could react Taako had the Umbra Staff out and cast Sleep on the man.

“We need to move,” Taako said with an urgency Magnus had never heard before. “Now. Move. Go.” He jumped onto the table and around Magnus, high-tailing it for the door. Merle and Magnus looked at each other and rushed after him just as the waitress yelled “hey!” at them.

Taako was already in the wagon by the time they made it outside, and Magnus had to chuck Merle into it and take a running leap to get on by the time they caught up. Taako, sitting at the helm of the wagon with his hands clenched on the wood, responded to neither his name nor any questions. He just drove, probably expending more magic than he had in him to keep the wagon at a brisk pace, leaving the diner and surrounding scrublands in the background. It was late afternoon before Taako finally stopped, slumped against the seat of the wagon in exhaustion, his skin sallow and eyes dull.

“You overdid it,” Merle said gruffly, pulling Taako into laying down in the floor of the wagon. Taako was so tired he didn’t even protest, his eyes fluttering. “Magnus, get out and push. We need to find a place for Taako to eat and rest.”

“You got it,” Magnus said, getting out of the wagon. He looked for a moment at the wagon, then shrugged, got out his rope, made himself a makeshift hitch, and started pulling. The wagon moved slowly and Magnus was straining, but he got into a rhythm once the road started going downhill a bit. Then it was going faster, and faster, and Magnus was running full-tilt at the head of the wagon now, feeling the weight of it starting to overtake him.

Then, quite suddenly, a flash of red light blinded him, and Magnus found himself at the seat of the wagon, with the wagon moving itself like it did with Taako’s enchantment. A quick check told Magnus it wasn’t Taako’s doing, but the Umbra Staff was balanced on its handle, its spokes quivering. He’d never seen it make a red light before, not like what he just experienced, but weirder things had happened, so Magnus sat back and enjoyed it. A few miles down the road another establishment appeared, a pretty large inn sitting like a sentinel at the edge of a small town in the sparsely wooded wilderness.

“Woah, there, wagon,” Magnus said, and the Umbra Staff tipped over. The wagon slowed to a halt perfectly in front of the inn, which was called The Friendly Dragon. Like most places out here, it wasn’t overflowing with activity, but as Magnus hopped out to find a place to push the wagon so it was out of the way, a tiefling barmaid opened the front door and hurried towards them.

“Evening, travelers, evening,” the barmaid said, her tail holding her skirt as she curtsied. “Will you be wanting rooms, then?”

“Yes, please,” Magnus said. “If you have three rooms available, we’ll take them.”

“We have one with two beds and one with a single,” the barmaid said.

“Fine, yeah,” Magnus said.

“I call the single,” Taako mumbled from the wagon as Merle helped him sit up. The barmaid paled.

“Does he need a doctor? Or a healer?” she asked anxiously.

“Some food and a long rest and he’ll be fine,” Merle said.

“Well, you came to the right place!” the barmaid smiled, and curtsied again. “My name’s Mab, I’ll tell the innkeeper we’re expecting three.” She hustled into the inn, and Magnus used his hitch to tie the wagon to a nearby post and helped Taako down from the wagon. Taako’s legs didn’t seem to want to support his weight, and his skin was ash.

“We’re using Mathias tomorrow,” Merle said stoutly. “Or getting a horse. We’re not doing this again.”

“Fine,” Taako said faintly. Magnus scooped him up and carried him towards the door, Merle trailing behind. The innkeeper was another tiefling, a stout man with small glasses that assured Magnus and Merle he would do everything to cater to their needs, then called Mab over to take their food orders.

“Whatever you have on hand,” Merle said, “just bring us a bunch of it.”

“Yes sir, coming right up, sir!” Mab said cheerily, and flounced to the kitchen. Taako folded his arms on the table and laid his head on them, yawning.

“Stay awake, Taako,” Merle said sharply, and Taako nodded, his eyes sliding open and shut. Merle tweaked one of his ears, and Taako yelped, but didn’t shoot upright like he should’ve. Magnus fretted with a loose thread in his tunic and bit his lip. Questions could wait until after Taako was out of danger.

Mab and another barmaid brought out half a pork roast and a tureen of stew. Magnus watched in amazement as roughly three-quarters of it all went down Taako’s throat. A selection of warm, fresh-baked bread followed to pair with the stew, which Taako used to mop up the dregs in his bowl and then the juice from the roast. Mab brought them huge mugs of ale, setting them down with a smile as Magnus and Merle between them finished the bit of stew and few bites of roast along with the second half of the loaf of bread. Taako drank deeply from his tankard, then sat back, burped, and sighed.

“Good old road food,” he said, picking a string of meat from his teeth. “The flavors were uninspired and the meat was almost too tough, but altogether not bad.”

“Okay,” Magnus said. Taako looked significantly healthier, if even more sleepy, and when he and Merle finished eating they asked Mab about their rooms. She led them upstairs to the end of the corridor, and as requested put Taako in the room with the single bed. Merle fussed with the sheets as Magnus laid Taako down, propping his Umbra Staff against the foot of the bed and hanging his hat off one of the posts.

“I’m fine, _Dad_ , don’t even worry about it,” Taako yawned. He was snoring before Magnus shut the door. He and Merle shared another look, long and calculating, but said nothing as they retreated to their room next door. They’d get answers when he woke up.

-

“Magnus?”

Magnus fumbled with his Stone of Farspeech, jerking awake from the light doze he’d found himself in. The change of light in the room suggested it was late evening, and Merle was gone, so there was a good chance he was down at the bar. But back to the matter at hand: his Stone, vibrating with the Director’s concerned voice.

“Madam Director,” Magnus said hurriedly, holding the Stone up to his face. “Sorry, we meant to get in touch, it’s been a crazy day.”

“Avi’s fixed the cannon,” the Director said. “Or nearly, anyway. He estimates that with some testing, it should be ready to go by the day after tomorrow.”

“Good,” Magnus sighed. “That’s great.”

“What have you three been up to?”

“Oh, stuff,” Magnus shrugged. “Taako burned through pretty much all his spell slots on animating a cart and we almost went to a diner. I think Merle’s flirting at the bar in this inn, I haven’t seen him in a while.”

“Oh, lord,” the Director said, almost to herself. “What a party animal.”

“Well, he does have those one thousand nine-hundred and ninety-nine party points,” Magnus grinned, and the Director chuckled.

“See that the other two keep out of too much trouble, please,” the Director said. “And yourself, I need all three of you in peak condition when you get back. Or near enough.”

“Another mission?”

“I believe so.” The Director said something to someone on her end, muffled with her not speaking directly into the Stone, then returned. “It would be best if you stayed put. Avi has a lock on your location and thinks it would be best if you didn’t move around too much, in case the cannon misfires or there’s another problem. If there are further delays, I will authorize you to continue.”

“Understood,” Magnus said, and his Stone went dim. He sat back against his headboard and sighed through his nose. Then he stood up to go find Merle.

Merle was, as expected, at the bar, in deep discussion with a druid, by the look of them. His cheeks were red and his eyes were bright, his tankard held in his flesh hand while his wood hand gesticulated in broad strokes that the druid was following keenly. The Friendly Dragon was much more crowded now in the evening hours, probably from the town, given the friendly atmosphere of the place. No sign of Taako, so he was probably still asleep. Magnus dithered for a moment at the stairs, then shrugged and went to get himself a drink.

Mab had one ready for him as he approached the bar, and slid it to him with a wink. Magnus saluted her with it and then turned to go find a spot to camp out for the night. There was one empty table in the corner. Perfect. A troupe of musicians and a flashy bard were setting up in the opposite end of the room as Magnus settled himself into his chair, propping his boots up on the chair next to him and taking a long, deep gulp of ale. It was good and cool, maybe not as smooth as other drinks he’d had but certainly not poor-quality (which he had also had, and in greater quantities).

Mab bustled over to check on him once or twice, the second time bringing Magnus a refill, navigating the busy common room with handy experience. She slid him the tankard and grinned at him.

“Compliments of the beauty at the bar,” Mab winked, and Magnus took the tankard with a much more uncertain smile, scanning the room to see who she was talking about. At the bar there were several patrons seated, but only one was facing outward, a half-elf with dark hair and a very well-pressed shirt. They winked when Magnus locked eyes with them, and smiled widely when Magnus tipped his head in thanks. Mab wasn’t kidding, they were a striking figure, though Magnus’ judge of beauty wasn’t the best. He tipped his tankard back and sniffed the ale before he let it pass his lips. It smelled alright, but that wasn’t foolproof. He wished he had Taako’s no-sodium salt shaker.

Wow, Magnus, he chided himself, since when did a stranger buying him a drink mean they wanted to poison him? Rustic hospitality, he thought as he took a sip. People loved Magnus. Just part of the brand. Another glance at the bar told him the half-elf was still looking at him.

Magnus watched the night’s entertainment finish setting up and launch into a rousing ballad, which had the entire room cheering and clearing tables to open up room for dancing. Merle was part of the dancing crowd, Magnus saw with little surprise. He was a natural at it, picking up the rhythm in no time and ingratiating himself with the locals in a way Magnus himself couldn’t have done in twice the time. Magnus grinned and tapped his hand on the table along with the beat.

“Care to dance?”

Magnus started at the sudden voice, slopping ale over the side of his tankard. The voice laughed, a cool, silken sound, and when Magnus looked up it was the half-elf, offering a handkerchief. Magnus took it and wiped off his hand, then the table.

“Thanks,” Magnus said. “What were you saying?”

“I was asking if you wanted to dance,” the half-elf repeated, tucking a lock of hair behind their ear. “I’m Veil, by the way.”

“Magnus,” he said, holding out his hand. Veil shook it, their long fingers lingering over his. “I’m sorry, I don’t dance. But thanks for asking.”

“That’s alright,” Veil said without a trace of disappointment. “Mind if I join you, then?”

“Please,” Magnus replied, putting his feet back on the floor and turning more towards Veil as they settled into one of the empty chairs.

“Where are you from?” Veil asked. “It’s not as often as you’d think we see strangers around here.”

“Raven’s Roost, originally,” Magnus said. “Westward.”

“Is it a big place?” Veil leaned their head against their hand, inwards towards Magnus. Magnus settled back in his chair and gave a pained smile.

“It was,” he said. “It’s been abandoned for some time now.”

“That’s too bad,” Veil said. “Towns pop up and die all the time out here, but it’s still a shame.” A barmaid set a glass of ruby-red wine in front of them, and Veil picked it up and drank without acknowledging the barmaid’s presence. Magnus scanned them, noting the rich fabric of their shirt and the well-oiled leather of their boots. It wasn’t a crime to have money and look nice, but in the midst of what was probably a miner’s town, given the look of the other patrons, Magnus felt a thread of unease.

“I’m in the business of managing towns, you see,” Veil continued when Magnus didn’t. “Funding small businesses, investing in larger enterprises. You see a lot of settlements rise and fall in the blink of an eye.”

“Sounds risky,” Magnus said, and took another gulp of ale.

“Maybe, but it’s fun,” Veil smiled. “What about you, handsome, what do you do?”

“I’m an adventurer,” Magnus said, putting his tankard down a few inches further from him and lacing his fingers together. “Just kinda…go around adventuring.”

“Now that’s fun,” Veil smiled, running a hand through their waterfall of hair. “Are you sure I can’t sell you on that dance, Magnus?”

“I’m positive,” Magnus affirmed.

“You here alone?”

“No, I have some friends. One of them’s out there now,” Magnus pointed towards Merle, who was dancing with Mab now in a ring of clapping townsfolk. “Our other friend isn’t feeling well.”

“That’s a shame,” Veil sighed. “A real shame.”

“If you’re really set on dancing, there’s no shortage of partners out there,” Magnus hinted. Veil’s expression soured somewhat, then they sighed.

“If you insist,” they said, and put their hand on Magnus’ arm. “Find me if you change your mind.”

“Have a good night, Veil,” Magnus said. “Thank you for the drink.”

“My pleasure,” Veil winked again, and with wine glass in hand they wound their way into the crowd and disappeared. Magnus sat back with his half-empty tankard and put his feet back on the chair, watching Merle somehow dip Mab, who was laughing breathlessly and covering her face with one of her hands. He brought her back up and bowed to the crowd, who burst into applause. Merle grinned, then his eye caught Magnus’ and he made his way towards him.

“There you are, buddy, I was wondering if you were gonna come down,” Merle said, settling in the chair Veil had occupied. “Looks like there’s a half-elf over there making eyes at you.”

“We had a nice chat,” Magnus shrugged, “but I told them I wasn’t what they were looking for.”

“Did you, now,” Merle said, and took Magnus’ tankard and drained it. “Why didn’t you go out with them? Have a little fun?”

“I’m really not a party guy anymore,” Magnus said. “Besides, I’m…really not interested.”

“Maggie, bud, you don’t have to settle down and marry ‘em,” Merle snorted. “One dance isn’t gonna kill you.”

“I’m really not interested,” Magnus repeated, crossing his arms. Merle eyed him over, then shrugged.

“Can’t let your whole life grind to a halt over a tragedy, kiddo.”

Magnus bit down on his lip and the half-dozen angry words that bubbled up in his throat. Merle was drunk. And also trying to give sage advice while drunk. “I’m not. I just am not into dating anymore.”

“Hooking up doesn’t require dating,” Merle sniggered.

“Or hooking up. Anything involving people more emotionally invested than a hug. I’m…I’m not into it,” Magnus scowled. “Can we drop it, please?”

“Fine, fine, fine,” Merle rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Doesn’t mean you can’t still find happiness in things, y’know?”

“I…guess?”

“Like dancing,” Merle said. “Dancing is absolutely the purest expression of joy there is. It’s all about movement, and hollering, and giving thanks to the gods above for the good times and the bad. Don’t need a partner to dance, but you’ve gotta dance every day.” Merle yawned and sat back in his chair. “Otherwise, what’s the point?”

“Huh,” Magnus blinked. “You almost said something wise, old man.”

“Don’t ‘old man’ me, I’m plenty young enough to kick your meaty butt.”

“Sure.” Magnus looked out the window. It was full dark now, and starry. “The Director wants us to stay put for a day. The cannon might be fixed.”

“Good, good,” Merle said absently. “I’m gonna check on Taako.”

“Just don’t wake him up,” Magnus warned, and Merle, stumbling a little out of his chair, waved his hand at him in dismissal. Magnus watched him stump up the stairs, then looked out at the crowd. Veil seemed deep in conversation with the innkeeper now, the rest of the room still dancing while the musicians and bard performed. Magnus looked down into his empty tankard, put it down, and stood, making his way around the edge of the room back to the stairs. He’d lost his appetite for personal interaction for the night.

-

“Hey, Merle.”

Silence followed Magnus’ words, spoken into the darkness of their shared room. He waited a minute, then tried again. “Merle. I know you’re not asleep, you snore like it’s a medical condition.”

“It is a medical condition,” Merle grumbled from his bed. “What.”

“What do you think Taako’s problem is with Glamor Springs?”

“Hard to say,” Merle grunted. “Could be anything, with Taako.”

“He’s not usually terrified to the point of using magic until he overextends his spell slots,” Magnus replied. “I’m just worried.”

“Taako’s a big boy. With some rest he’ll be fine,” Merle said. After a long pause, he continued, “Besides, if he doesn’t feel like sharing, it’s not our business.”

“Yeah,” Magnus said, and they fell silent again. Magnus was drifting when he heard Merle sit up, groaning quietly about his joints, and leave the room. He came back a few minutes later.

“Idiot,” he heard Merle huff.

“Yeah,” Magnus repeated, sleepiness elongating his vowels. Merle settled back into bed and chuckled.

“At least he’s in good company. Night, Magnus.”

“Night, Merle.”

Compared to the drunken floor-sleeping of the night before, the bed was heavenly, and Magnus fell asleep fairly quickly, even with Merle’s grunting snores rumbling to life nearby.

-

“Up and at ‘em, dipsticks,” Taako announced, throwing back the curtains. Magnus groaned as sunlight hit his eyes. Merle didn’t even miss a beat in his snores.

“I thought you were dying,” Magnus grumbled.

“Amazing what sleeping for fourteen hours will do for you,” Taako said brightly. “Let’s hit the road, chumps, time’s a-wasting.”

Magnus hauled himself upright, rubbing his eyes and taking stock of things, as Taako bullied Merle awake. Taako still looked pale, and was dressed significantly more slipshod than normal, but he didn’t seem on death’s door anymore. Judging by the angle of the sunlight, it was still early in the morning, certainly earlier than Taako ever voluntarily rose.

“Talked to the Director last night,” Magnus said as he pulled on his pants. “She said the cannon would be good to go by tomorrow. We could just hang out for the day. Do some sight-seeing in town. Get your strength back.”

“I’m peachy,” Taako wheezed as he pushed Merle towards the edge of his bed. Merle had his wooden arm hooked into the bedframe, his eyes scrunched shut. “Merle, get your wrinkly—”

“She kinda ordered us to stay put,” Magnus said. Taako paused, long enough for Merle to sit up and send Taako lurching across his lap. Merle took the opportunity to take Taako’s head in his hands, examining his eyes and inside his mouth.

“Ah’m fahn,” Taako said around Merle’s fingers, and bit down with a grunt of irritation. The effect was ruined by his immediate yelp of pain as he realized it was the wooden fingers. “Cha’boy is all recovered, thanks for the concern. Let’s mosey, I thought you wanted a road trip.”

“Taako,” Magnus said, and Taako fought his way out of Merle’s grip.

“Would you stop hovering? I. Am. _Fine_ ,” Taako snapped. “And once again, if you dumb-dumbs are content to waste your time in lame places, that’s your prerogative. Taako’s moving on.”

“Cast a spell,” Merle said flatly. “Any spell. Not a cantrip.”

“I’m not wasting a spell slot on your paranoia,” Taako sniffed. “Besides, you said we’d use Mathias today.”

“I’m comfy,” Merle said, laying back in his bed. “There’s a druid somewhere around here who’s got the major hots for me and I forgot to get her name last night. Besides, if the cannon’s gonna be fine tomorrow, no sense in us getting stuck in bad weather or bad terrain.”

Taako opened his mouth, then closed it. He gritted his teeth and turned on his heel, only to run smack into Magnus, who was about to leave through the door. “What is your problem?” Taako squawked.

“Bathroom,” Magnus said. “We traveled a long time yesterday and I forgot to shower last night.”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere, big guy, it’s gonna be a bath,” Taako rolled his eyes. “With well water. And it’ll be kettle-heated.”

“Okay,” Magnus shrugged again, going through the door. Taako followed him out, stomping to his room and slamming the door. Magnus paused, biting his lip. Then he sighed.

Once his essential business was done, Magnus knocked on Taako’s door.

“Go away!” Taako shouted.

“No,” Magnus replied. “Are you hungry?”

“What do you care?”

“Because you’re my friend and I love you,” Magnus replied. The door wrenched open. Taako’s face was blotchy with some emotional cocktail Magnus couldn’t parse, his breathing shallow and eyes wild. Magnus took a step back. “What?”

Taako continued to stare at him, speechless. Magnus shifted from one foot to the other.

“You don’t…people just don’t say stuff like that,” Taako said in a strangled voice.

“Uh…yeah, they do,” Magnus replied. “Sorry I haven’t said it before, I guess?”

“I don’t need your pity,” Taako spat, his face flushing deeper.

“It’s not pity, it’s—why is it so hard to believe we actually care about you, rather than are out to ruin your life?” Magnus threw his hands in the air. How was this even a conversation that was happening? “Hey, Merle!”

“What,” Merle grunted, poking his head out of the door of their room.

“Come on,” Magnus said, grabbing Merle’s arm and dragging him across the hall. “Team meeting, now.”

Taako sputtered as Magnus muscled gently past him, half-carrying all three of them into Taako’s room. Magnus sat on the floor, waiting patiently. Merle sighed and joined him. Taako looked between them before throwing himself down, lounging with his back to them.

“Merle, cast Zone of Truth,” Magnus said. Merle shot him an odd look, but did as he asked. “I’m choosing to fail this throw. I am completely submitting myself to the Zone.”

“Okay, dork,” Merle muttered, and swore. “I guess I am, too.” Taako didn’t say anything, but his lack of gloating and the stiff set of his spine suggested he had also failed to fight the effects off.

“Okay,” Magnus said, “listen—I love you both, very much. You’re the best friends I’ve ever had. You don’t have to return the feeling, I’m not asking for anything, I just want you to know where you stand with me. As much as I’m able, I’m gonna protect you both. You’ve both got secrets, and baggage, and I’m not asking you to lay everything out in the open, gods know I’m not, but I’m here for you guys.” Magnus folded his hands in his lap. “And that’s what I wanted to say.”

Merle was staring at his hands, Taako’s shoulders trembled, and Magnus felt a stab of unease. He’d probably pushed it too far, asking for Zone of Truth.

“Me, too,” Merle said gruffly. “Look, if you boys say anything about this outside of this Zone, I’ll deny everything, but…I’m grateful you let me hang around. It’s…it’s nice. To be needed.” Merle snorted. “Even if I am the worst cleric in the B.O.B.”

“You’re not the worst cleric,” Taako said, his face still turned away. “I’m just ribbing. Most of the time.”

“Oh,” Merle said. “I…I know that. Most of the time.”

“You did some really awesome stuff on our last mission in the creepy lab,” Magnus said.

“I guess, yeah,” Merle said, mollified. His wood hand flexed. “Can’t be a very good one, though, if I didn’t even recognize when someone was impersonating my god, but I do alright.”

“Well, that Kravitz guy’s a jerk,” Magnus said. Taako snorted.

“Yeah, I value you guys too and stuff,” Taako mumbled. “For a guy who’s been flying solo since birth, pretty much, it’s been…kinda nice…having some guys around I can trust.”

Magnus beamed. Merle hid a smile in his beard. Taako rolled over, fixing both of them with a glare. “I don’t want to talk about Glamor Springs. I did something there I can’t ever make right, and that’s all I’ll say. I’m gonna live with that for the rest of my life.” He sighed and sat up. “But thanks for the concern. I kinda overdid it yesterday.”

Zone of Truth faded, and Magnus scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and sniffed. Taako rolled his eyes again.

“If we’re staying here, then I’m going back to sleep, so get out,” Taako yawned.

“Okay,” Magnus said, standing. Merle joined him and fixed Taako with a shrewd look.

“No sneaking out of here without us,” Merle rumbled. “We’re a team. We sneak together.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure thing,” Taako said, waving him off.

“Hey, can we borrow the pocket spa?” Magnus asked.

“No, dimwit. You can use it when I wake up,” Taako snorted. “Oooout. Taako needs the rest of his beauty sleep.”

“Fiiiine,” Magnus laughed, and he and Merle exited the room. For a moment, they fidgeted, avoiding eye contact. Merle cleared his throat.

“Breakfast?”

“Oh, yeah.”

-

Mab graciously agreed to serve Merle and Magnus breakfast in their room, where they questioned her briefly on stuff to do in the town. According to her, it was a farming town, not a mining town, and there wasn’t much to do, but there was a small shop that might be of interest to tourists.

“Veil’s the person in charge of it,” Mab said. “I believe you met them last night, yeah, Magnus?”

“Yeah,” Magnus said, swallowing a mouthful of eggs. “Nice person.”

“As they go,” Mab agreed. “Lets us stay open, at any rate, even with the low traffic flow.”

“Why would they need to let you stay open?” Magnus asked.

“Well, they basically own the town, don’t they?” Mab snorted. “Might feel it better worth their while to invest in something else.” Mab lowered her voice. “There was a nasty rumor going about when they first showed up about their former town, but it’s not been proven.”

“What happened?” Merle asked, his voice equally low. Mab glanced at the door, then started to whisper.

“Apparently, their last settlement they invested in got overrun by monsters. Slaughtered half the town, scared off the rest. How Veil got out of there with all their money intact and their skin is a mystery, you see, if it’s the truth.”

“Uh-huh,” Magnus said, narrowing his eyes. “Very mysterious.”

“Probably just a horror story, though,” Mab giggled nervously. “I mean, it’s not polite to make up stuff about outsiders, now, is it?”

“Awful,” Merle agreed. “Any chance of a mimosa with this here meal, sister?”

“I don’t even know what that is,” Mab shrugged. “Anyway, when you’re done, leave your dishes in the hall, yeah? I’ll come by and get ‘em in a bit.”

“Cool,” Magnus said, and Mab bustled from the room. Magnus finished his plate and started working on his coffee, thinking. He certainly wasn’t a stranger to leaders who overstepped their boundaries. The town seemed happy enough, so there probably wasn’t any merit to the story. Probably.

Taako awoke several hours later, emerging from his room in a whirl of tights and bangles, his hair pulled back and wizard’s hat jauntily perched on his head.

“You said something about exploring this po-dunk village we’re stranded in,” Taako said loudly. “Let’s go, I’m bored.”

“And also rude,” Magnus frowned. Merle rolled his eyes, hopping up from his bed, where he’d been reading his Extreme Teen Bible.

“I’m down. Let’s go.”

The Friendly Dragon was just on the border of the town of Dusty Boots, which was home to three things: farmers, dirt roads, and a single-street stretch of buildings with the bare essentials. There was a miniscule bank, a general store, several farming equipment establishments, and in the middle, a shop Taako called a “boutique” in squealing tones.

“Listen, it’s probably all garbage, but you can find surprisingly good stuff in small towns,” Taako said as they approached. “Merle, I need the pool, Papa needs his shopping spree.”

“I’ll give you half, but the rest of this is for the Fantasy Costco,” Merle said stoutly, forking over the purse of gold they carried around with them on adventures. “Don’t spend it all on candy and get sick.”

“Okay, grandpa, whatever you say,” Taako rolled his eyes. The shop was simply called Veil’s, and upon entry, the half-elf from the bar was indeed the person behind the counter. There was also a human boy in an apron at the register, who looked like he was being berated, but Veil cut off whatever they were saying when the bell rang as the door opened.

“Hello,” Veil said, spinning around, and when they saw who they were addressing, their smile widened. “Hello, hello, Magnus. Nice to see you again.”

“Hey,” Magnus waved. The interior of the store was tasteful and clean, stocked with a selection of curios and clothing and odds and ends, from small magic daggers to one extravagantly red pair of leather boots with no magic properties whatsoever besides the ability to make Taako drool.

“Feel free to touch anything in the store,” Veil said, leaning on the end of the counter, and winked at Magnus. “Anything at all.”

“Okay,” Magnus said, skeeved out somewhat, and followed Merle in examining some succulents arranged around bits of cookware in a cabinet.

“Where do you get your stuff out in the middle of nowhere?” Taako asked, holding up a pair of earrings set with milky stones that flashed with different iridescent tones.

“Oh, here and there,” Veil replied. “Donations, mostly. I do like to travel from town to town picking up a few things. I just got too much of it eventually, and got the idea to open a darling little shop here at my latest stop.”

“A real mercantile wiz, then,” Taako said, with a faint underline of humor Magnus and Merle snickered at. He put the earrings down, and Magnus watched in amazement as he then traipsed to the other end of the store, pulling down a dish at random. “This is a very rare piece of Phandolin porcelain, kemosabe, where did you get this?”

“I wasn’t aware Phandolinian artifacts were that valuable,” Veil said with an uncertain note in their voice, but their smile didn’t waver. “That was left behind by a family from my last project—town, really, my last town. They left in quite a hurry.”

“Which town?” Magnus asked.

“I forget the name, they all sort of blend together after a while,” Veil shrugged. “All these frontier towns have eclectic names, you’d think it’d be easier to keep track. The maps are always changing out here, as well. One village finds gold, only for the vein to dry up. Another settlement has a successful wheat crop, it’s overrun by goblins the next season. Brutal, really.”

“I bet people leave behind a lot of goods when that happens,” Magnus said casually. Veil’s gaze snapped onto him, and after a moment they smiled.

“I guess they do. People don’t exactly gather up the fine china when they’re running for their lives.”

“Would be an awful person who’d take advantage of people in that situation,” Merle said, holding one of the succulents up to his face to closely study it. “That’d be the kind of thing we’d have to check out, right, boys?”

“And where exactly are you from?” Veil asked sharply.

“Never you mind, darling, it’s nothing to worry your pretty head about,” Taako replied breezily, sorting through a basket of textiles and holding up a knotted length of cloth. “Now, what I really want to know is how much this scarf is, the embroidery is exquisite.”

“Forty gold,” the boy at the register said, startling Magnus, who’d forgotten he was there entirely. Veil was looking between the three of them, and Magnus thought their eyes looked pretty beady, their smile frozen over.

“But that’s not the kind of person you are, eh, Veil?” Magnus laughed heartily. “You’re just an honest salesperson making a living, huh?”

“Yes,” Veil said with an oily smile. “Just a being of business, making a living out here.”

“I’ll take this,” Taako said, holding up the scarf. “And one of the succulents— _one_ , Merle, I’m serious—and some hard candy for my good, good brawny boy Magnus there.”

“Yay!” Magnus said, jumping up and then steadying Railsplitter on his back with a beefy arm he was (unintentionally, of course) flexing. “Hard candy!”

“That’ll be sixty gold total,” the boy at the register said, and as Merle and Taako bickered their way to the register, Magnus popped a piece of hard candy in his mouth and smiled at Veil, whose skin was looking an unhealthy grey, their smile stretched to almost a grimace.

“This is a nice spot,” Magnus said. “We should definitely come back, huh, boys?”

“Oh, definitely,” Taako said. “And soon.”

“Have a nice day,” the boy at the register said, and Magnus winked at Veil as he and Taako and Merle made their way out.

“Slimy weasel,” Merle muttered once they were down the road back to the Friendly Dragon. “We shoulda given them the ole splatski treatment.”

“No need to kill people who are gonna be watching their backs from now on,” Taako yawned. “Not that it matters at all to _moi_ , I got a steal from that spot. This scarf is easily three hundred gold in a bigger town.”

“I just hope they choose to stop now, before someone has to make them,” Magnus said darkly. Merle looked at him, and patted his arm.

“We can come drop by unexpected later. I still haven’t found that druid chick.”

“Gross,” Taako said. “If she’s smart, she left town last night.”

“Nuh-uh, we had a real connection going! Magnus was there, he saw!”

“I bet he saw you chatting to a potted plant before you busted your hip busting a move, old man.”

“I’m not that old!”

Magnus smiled as Merle and Taako continued to trade insults, shoving his hands in his pockets. This…this was nice. This was what they needed.

“Magnus?”

He looked back at Merle and Taako, who were looking up at him expectantly. He shrugged. Taako rolled his eyes, and Merle sighed.

“I’m just happy to be here,” Magnus said, and laughed when Taako retched. Merle shot him an exasperated look and shook his head.

“Hopeless,” Merle sighed again. “Completely hopeless.”

**Author's Note:**

> A few notes:  
> \- Lickskillet is a real town in Alabama I pass every time I go to my grandma's.  
> \- I took a ton of liberties with Griffin's version of Faerun; in my mind, the frontier towns are in the east while most of Faerun proper is in the west.  
> \- Also took liberties with Animate Object and the way magic works in general, because It's My Fanfic And I'll Cry If I Want To  
> \- Song title is from Running on Empty by Jackson Browne
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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